1920: The United States Forest Service developed the Oregon Skyline Trail from Mt. Hood to Crater Lake, the first segment of what would later become the Pacific Crest Trail. 

 

1926: Catherine Montgomery of Western Washington College of Education made the first proposal to create a Pacific Crest Trail. Her vision was a high trail winding down the heights of our western mountains with mile markers, and shelter huts from the Mexican to the Canadian border.

 

1928: Fred Creator became the Forest Service’s supervisor of Region Six, which encompasses Oregon and Washington. He began development of Cascade Crest Trail, a route through the Cascades from the Canadian border in Washington to the Columbia River.  He later extended the Oregon Skyline Trail to meet up with the Cascade Crest Trail.

 

1930: Clinton Clark of Southern California proposed a through wilderness trail from Canada to Mexico. He saw the trail as a way to “lead people back to a simpler and more natural life and arouse a love for nature and the out doors.” His idea was to extend the John Muir trail northward and southward to fulfill the proposal of a trail from border to border.

 

1937: The United States Forest Service designed the Pacific Crest Trail markers and installed them on the trails in Region Six.

 

1939-1945: During World War II all construction on the Pacific Crest Trail was halted and ignored until the 1960’s.

 

1965:  The Bureau of Outdoor Recreation appointed a commission to perform a study of nation wide trails. The commission recommended that four scenic trails be developed and completed, the Appalachian Trail, the Potomac Heritage trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. An advisory council drafted the final Pacific Crest Trail route.

 

1972: The Pacific Crest Trail route was finally approved. Maps of this Pacific Crest Trail were made available to the public. Over 73 miles of the southern Oregon portion to the California border ran along Highway 140 because the proposed wilderness area was in private hands and needed to be purchased.

 

1984:  The entire Pacific Crest Trail was finally completed including multiple trailheads with parking lots so hikers and equestrians could do portions of the trail. An informal network of “Trail Angels” assists hikers by providing caches of food and water at various trailheads along the PCT. The Pacific Crest Trail Association continues to maintain and improve the conditions of the trail. Thousands enjoy hiking the more popular segments of the PCT but only about 300 hikers complete a through hike of the entire PCT each year